


Acting Like Adults

by jooliewrites



Series: Season 3 Coliver Codas [3]
Category: How to Get Away with Murder
Genre: Angst, Coda, Episode Related, Episode: s03e03 Always Bet Black, M/M, Post-Break Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 06:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8240200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jooliewrites/pseuds/jooliewrites
Summary: “So…” Asher let the word drag out as he turned in the passenger’s seat to face Connor. “Wanna talk about it?” 
Connor suppressed an eye roll and focused on changing lanes. “What are you talking about?” 
“You and the O-Man.” Connor didn’t say a word. “You two fight or something?” 
Connor’s expression didn’t change. His eyes remained flat, his lips a thin line. “Or something,” he muttered after a beat and hoped the subject was dropped. 
Because he and Oliver hadn’t fought. They hadn’t really done anything. They’d talked. They’d had a discussion. Adults had discussions. 

  I want you to act like an adult.

+ 
A 3x03 Coliver Coda





	

**Author's Note:**

> [originally posted](https://ramblesandreblogs.tumblr.com/post/151456659413/a-quick-3x03-coliver-coda-thanks-to)

“So…” Asher let the word drag out as he turned in the passenger’s seat to face Connor. “Wanna talk about it?”

They’d just finished dropping Oliver off in front of his building and it had taken more effort than Connor cared to admit to just drive away after Oliver shut the car door. Sitting and waiting, watching to make sure Oliver got in the building safely, that was something people did for children and they were all adults in this car.

_I want you to act like an adult._

The words whispered through Connor’s mind again and he gripped the steering wheel tighter. He tried to focus on navigating the left turn and told his mind to shut the fuck up.

“Yo, Walsh,” Asher prompted but Connor didn’t take his eyes off the road, didn’t acknowledge he heard Asher at all. “Come on, don't be like that, Boo.” Asher put a hand on Connor’s shoulder and Connor started in his seat.

“What?”

Connor threw the word out like a bite, a slap, and Asher raised an eyebrow. He subtly turned in his seat to catch Michaela’s eye in the back. Touchy tonight.

“Sorry, man,” Asher said cautiously. “Didn’t mean to scare.” He settled back in his seat. “Just wanted to know if there was anything you wanted to share with the group.”

Connor suppressed an eye roll and focused on changing lanes. “What are you talking about?”

Another look was shot back to Michaela before Asher answered. Really? Walsh was going to ignore the suffocating tension radiating between him and Oliver. “You and the O-Man.” Connor didn’t say a word. “You two fight or something?”

Connor’s expression didn’t change. His eyes remained flat, his lips a thin line. “Or something,” he muttered after a beat and hoped the subject was dropped.

Because he and Oliver hadn’t fought. They hadn’t really done anything. They’d talked. They’d had a discussion. Adults had discussions.

_I want you to act like an adult._

He should have just told Oliver the truth about the guy. Connor should have just looked Oliver in the eye and told him–

No. Connor couldn’t even repeat the words in his own mind. He couldn’t have told Oliver that. He couldn’t have hurt Oliver like that.

No. What Connor should have done was punch that guy. That was the real issue with tonight. That that racist fuck was still walking around with all his teeth in his skull.

So what if Connor hadn’t hit anyone since prep school. The mechanics of it hadn’t changed. And besides, Asher would have stepped in with some line about “No one touches my boy like that!” or something equally bro-tastic.

Connor would have had Asher in his corner, even if he didn’t necessarily have Oliver in there right now. Hell. Oliver probably would have rushed to the asshole’s aid, only seeing Connor punching out the guy he’d been talking too, not understanding the motivation behind it.

No, punching the guy wouldn’t have helped anything, except for giving Connor an outlet for some of his…God, he didn’t even know what it was. Anger? Heartbreak? Pity? Rage? Love? Hate? What? What was this feeling he carried around lately? He couldn’t place it. He didn’t know what to call missing someone so much it was a physical ache and yet being unable to be around them.

Connor couldn’t be around Oliver, he was starting to get that now. He couldn’t keep pretending that he was okay with everything. He couldn’t keep seeing Oliver at the office and the clinic and hanging out after work. If they were broken up, Connor needed them to be broken up.

Connor pulled into a space in front of Michaela’s building and they all got out, heading towards the door. Michaela punched in her security code and Asher held the door open for her to walk through. He waited, holding the door for Connor as well, but Connor hesitated.

“You know what?” He took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think I’m going to take a walk.”

“Connor, it’s like 2. Just come inside,” Michaela said. “We’ll talk it out upstairs.”

“No.” Connor rubbed a hand over his nose. The night was chilly but the air felt good in his lungs, sharp and clean. “No, I…I’m–Just around the block once.”

Michaela and Asher exchanged a look before Asher leveled one at Connor. He must have seen something in Connor’s eyes because he just nodded once and said, “Okay, bro. If that’s what you need.”

“No. Wait, Connor–” Michaela started to protest but saw in Connor’s eyes the futility of arguing. She blew out a sigh and then, sternly, she told him, “Don’t be stupid.”

“When am I ever?” Connor asked cheekily and she rolled her eyes as expected.

“You have ten minutes,” she barreled on. “Then we’re coming for you.”

“Night, Michaela,” Connor said with a wave.

He watched them both walk inside the building and waved again through the glass door as they got on the elevator.

Mindful of Michaela’s advice, Connor kept his ears open as he slowly started to walk down the block.

He thought about Oliver and the discussion and the ride back to Philly and wondered if maybe this was what being an adult was all about.

Maybe being an _adult_  was realizing that he needed space and distance from Oliver. Realizing that, while he still cared deeply about Oliver and still wanted to be near the man, remaining as close as they were wasn’t good for Connor right now. Maybe being an _adult_ was knowing that the pleasure at being near Oliver, at seeing him smile and hearing him laugh, wasn’t worth the pain of it, the pain of knowing that Oliver wasn’t smiling at him, Oliver wasn’t laughing with him.

Connor pulled out his phone and scrolled through his texts from Oliver. There were still a dozen messages a day. They texted about Annalise and grabbing lunch and work and class and Asher and Bonnie and it wasn’t good. Oliver was the last four calls Connor’d made. They were still so wrapped up in each other’s lives that Connor couldn’t see a way for him to move on, to get over this, to act like an adult.

Maybe being an adult meant calling a spade a spade. Maybe being an adult meant making their breakup real.

With a few clicks, Connor deleted Oliver’s number from his phone. He flicked into Instagram and unfollowed Oliver, did the same with Snapchat and Twitter and Facebook. Work would be the hardest part but Connor could figure something out there. Work out a different schedule with Annalise or ask the others to run interference.

Connor pocketed the phone and let out a long breath.

_I want you to act like an adult._

_I’m trying, Ollie_ , Connor thought. _Your play now._

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://ramblesandreblogs.tumblr.com)


End file.
